Hydration is a key factor in maintaining the skin barrier and relieving dry skin. It can be delivered most effectively through the use of a topical moisturizer containing humectants (such as glycerin), occlusive agents (such as petrolatum), and barrier-supporting materials (such as ceramides or pseudo-ceramides). Additionally, pH can be an important factor in delivering hydration to the skin. Moisturizers are typically a blend of many ingredients and generally need to include an emulsifier to create a homogeneous mixture. An ingredient sometimes used for emulsification in moisturizers is behentrimonium chloride.
The purpose of a wet skin moisturizer (WSM) is to deliver key ingredients needed for relieving dry skin. It is generally recommended to apply moisturizers within three minutes after showering or bathing to help trap in moisture delivered to the skin from the shower or bath. The WSM is designed to be used prior to toweling off on just-cleansed and wet skin. The ingredients blend nicely with the water on the skin to provide an even film that does not feel greasy on the skin. Since the stratum corneum has been hydrated and swollen from the shower, water content is increased and the WSM seals in the moisture, allowing for long-lasting and deeper hydration within the stratum corneum. The WSM of the present invention is an oil-in-water emulsion that can contain some or all of the following or similar components: behentrimonium chloride for emulsification and adhesion of the emulsion to the skin; glycerin for skin hydration; skin conditioners (such as behenamidopropyl dimethylamine); branched-chain fatty esters; block copolymers; mineral oil; rheology modifiers, such as polyquaternium-37; a pH adjuster, such as lactic acid; and a linear siloxane.
Existing moisturizers that are utilized in the shower are designed to wash off the skin. They deposit occlusive materials and trap water vapor without delivering hydration into deeper layers of the stratum corneum. These products include Nivea-In-Shower and Eucerin-In-Shower. Additionally, Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer is designed with similar components to the WSM herein, but may not provide as much substantivity of lipids to the skin since it does not include the cationic surfactant, behentrimonium chloride, or the lower pH of the WSM.
In the WSM of the present invention, the emulsion spreads extremely well when applied to wetted skin, and provides enhanced and long-lasting moisturizing effects. Moreover, the inventors have found that the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention preferably is not rinsed off after application to wetted skin, and after drying, the composition can provide excellent, long-lasting skin benefits.
The body cosmetics of the present invention spread extremely well when applied directly to wetted skin, and provide good moisturizing effects after application, such as a moist feeling and a smooth feeling, which last for a long time after application. In addition, the body cosmetics can show the above-described excellent effects simply by being applied to wetted skin and then towel drying. Hence, they can provide these effects by simple processes after bathing. In addition, the product does not leave a greasy residue on the skin; such a greasy residue does not provide a good feeling after the skin has been cleansed.